But the "Roundball of Regret" is a reminder that the Warriors have a history of letting young talent go for little or nothing, only to see those players thrive elsewhere.

"I don't mean this as a criticism, but analyze the past five years," Warriors executive board member Jerry West said. "We can't afford to miss in the draft anymore. We can't afford to misjudge talent that leaves anymore."

In the past five seasons, the Warriors have allowed eight players acquired as rookies to move on eventually for little or nothing in return. Lin is the most buzz worthy example, but Marco Belinelli, Anthony Morrow, C.J. Watson and Reggie Williams are also producing at least nine points a game for other teams.

NEW ORLEANS, LA - FEBRUARY 08: Marco Belinelli #8 of the New Orleans Hornets shoots the ball over Kyle Korver #26 and Carlos Boozer #5 of the Chicago Bulls at New Orleans Arena on February 8, 2012 in New Orleans, Louisiana. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Chris Graythen/Getty Images) less

NEW ORLEANS, LA - FEBRUARY 08: Marco Belinelli #8 of the New Orleans Hornets shoots the ball over Kyle Korver #26 and Carlos Boozer #5 of the Chicago Bulls at New Orleans Arena on February 8, 2012 in New ... more

Photo: Chris Graythen, Getty Images

Photo: Chris Graythen, Getty Images

Image
1of/1

Caption

Close

Image 1 of 1

NEW ORLEANS, LA - FEBRUARY 08: Marco Belinelli #8 of the New Orleans Hornets shoots the ball over Kyle Korver #26 and Carlos Boozer #5 of the Chicago Bulls at New Orleans Arena on February 8, 2012 in New Orleans, Louisiana. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Chris Graythen/Getty Images) less

NEW ORLEANS, LA - FEBRUARY 08: Marco Belinelli #8 of the New Orleans Hornets shoots the ball over Kyle Korver #26 and Carlos Boozer #5 of the Chicago Bulls at New Orleans Arena on February 8, 2012 in New ... more

Photo: Chris Graythen, Getty Images

Warriors need to better develop young talent

1 / 1

Back to Gallery

The Warriors have made up for bad drafts by scouting out a number of finds off the beaten path, but too often they've let those guys leave town. Of rookies they've acquired in the five seasons previous to this one, only Curry and Ekpe Udoh remain on the Warriors' roster.

The rosters of the top six teams in the NBA standings all have at least three players acquired as rookies in the past five seasons. Oklahoma City has six, and Philadelphia and Indiana have five. Among the top 10 teams in the league, only Orlando has kept fewer of its rookies over the past five seasons.

"I can't speak to what's happened before, but player development is very important to my coaching staff," first-year Warriors coach Mark Jackson said. "It's something we take very seriously, because it's the future of this team."

It's especially difficult to develop young talent this season, one with no summer league, a shortened training camp and fewer practices between regular-season games. Still, the efforts are obvious with rookies Charles Jenkins, Klay Thompson and Jeremy Tyler - who run arduous drills before games and often have late-night practices after the mandated ones in the afternoon.

Jenkins averaged just one turnover a game in eight starts while Curry was out with a sprained right ankle. Thompson is coming off a career-high 19-point effort in 17 1/2 minutes at Denver and has made eight of his past 10 three-point attempts. Tyler is averaging 15.7 points and 8.3 rebounds per 48 minutes played in 12 games.

The Warriors have also used their NBA Development League team, the Dakota Wizards, as a way to improve training-camp invitee Chris Wright. The forward averaged 20.7 points, 10 rebounds and 2.3 blocked shots in three games with Dakota before being recalled to the big club.

"I think the results speak for themselves, and we haven't stumbled into them," Jackson said. "As a coach, you can tell them to come and demand that they do the work. But, if a player doesn't want it, he can go through the motions and not get better.

"You find the guys who want to be great, and those are keepers."

Center Andris Biedrins is in his eighth season, all with the Warriors. He wonders how differently his career would have played out if he could have gone to the D-League during his rookie season, when he averaged 3.6 points and 3.9 rebounds in 30 games.

"My rookie year, I would push really hard, but it was very difficult," Biedrins said. "You're not getting into games, and there's very little feedback. You come before practice, get beat up at practice, stay after for a couple more hours. It's hard, but that's what everybody has to do to get into the league."

Curry talked to Thunder rookie point guard Reggie Jackson before this week's game against Oklahoma City, a franchise known as one of the league's best developers of young players. Jackson said he is still putting himself through workouts similar to his pre-draft regimen, though he has been playing considerable minutes since Eric Maynor was injured.

"That's key, because they're trying to have a deep team that is solid from top to bottom," Curry said. "It's hard to judge if we've been as good as Oklahoma City, because we've had so much turnover on the roster. You actually see the results with what guys are doing with other teams."

The guys whose leaving you might live to regret.

From Oakland to greener pastures

In the past five seasons, the Warriors have watched eight players they had as rookies eventually move on for little or nothing in return. Here's a look at how those players are producing for their new teams: